Pulmonary function tester
First Claim
1. A pulmonary function tester for measurement of a patient'"'"'s pulmonary function comprising:
- a) means for sensing ambient atmospheric pressure;
b) means for sensing the pressure created by a patient'"'"'s pulmonary function after said means for sensing ambient atmospheric pressure has sensed ambient atmospheric pressure;
c) means for sensing ambient atmospheric pressure after said means for sensing the pressure created by a patient'"'"'s pulmonary function has sensed the pressure created by a patient'"'"'s pulmonary function; and
,d) means for calibrating the pressure sensed by said means for sensing the pressure created by a patient'"'"'s pulmonary function in view of a difference between the pressure sensed by said means for sensing ambient pressure prior to sensing the pressure created by a patient'"'"'s pulmonary function and the pressure sensed by said means for sensing ambient atmospheric pressure after sensing the pressure created by a patient'"'"'s pulmonary function.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improved pulmonary function tester provides for dynamic calibration during patient testing of various modes such as Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), Resting Ventilation (RV), Negative Inspiratory Force (NIF) and Maximum Voluntary Ventilation (MVV). The improved tester senses the ambient atmospheric pressure prior to and after sensing the pressure created by a patient'"'"'s pulmonary function. The pressure created by a patient'"'"'s pulmonary function is calibrated in view of the difference between the ambient atmospheric pressure sensed prior to and after sensing the pressure created by a patient'"'"'s pulmonary function. In the preferred embodiment, during testing in the modes, when the airflow from a patient'"'"'s pulmonary tract is detected to be below a selected value indicating minimal or substantially no airflow, a pressure transducer which is used to detect mouthpiece airflow is vented to the ambient atmosphere, and data representing the output of the pressure transducer are taken and stored for calibration of later readings during testing.
56 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A pulmonary function tester for measurement of a patient'"'"'s pulmonary function comprising:
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a) means for sensing ambient atmospheric pressure; b) means for sensing the pressure created by a patient'"'"'s pulmonary function after said means for sensing ambient atmospheric pressure has sensed ambient atmospheric pressure; c) means for sensing ambient atmospheric pressure after said means for sensing the pressure created by a patient'"'"'s pulmonary function has sensed the pressure created by a patient'"'"'s pulmonary function; and
,d) means for calibrating the pressure sensed by said means for sensing the pressure created by a patient'"'"'s pulmonary function in view of a difference between the pressure sensed by said means for sensing ambient pressure prior to sensing the pressure created by a patient'"'"'s pulmonary function and the pressure sensed by said means for sensing ambient atmospheric pressure after sensing the pressure created by a patient'"'"'s pulmonary function. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A pulmonary function tester for measurement of a patient'"'"'s pulmonary function comprising:
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a) means for sensing a pressure level presented to said means for sensing and for producing an output signal indicative of the sensed pressure level; b) means for connecting said means for sensing to a patient'"'"'s pulmonary tract and for storing a corresponding said output signal representative of the sensed pressure produced by the patient'"'"'s pulmonary tract; c) means for calibrating said output signal from said means for sensing when said means for sensing is connected to a patient'"'"'s pulmonary tract comprising; i) means for connecting said means for sensing to ambient atmosphere for a time interval sufficient for said means for sensing to accurately sense an initial pressure level prior to sensing the pressure produced by the patient'"'"'s pulmonary tract and for storing the corresponding said output signal; ii) means for connecting said means for sensing to the ambient atmosphere for a time interval sufficient for said means for sensing to accurately sense a final pressure level after sensing the pressure produced by the patient'"'"'s pulmonary tract and for storing the corresponding said output signal; and iii) means for calculating the difference between the levels of said output signals when said means for connecting said means for sensing a pressure level is connected to the ambient atmosphere to sense an initial pressure level and when said means for connecting said means for sensing a pressure level is connected to the ambient atmosphere to sense a final pressure level, and for adjusting said output signal representative of the sensed pressure produced by the patient'"'"'s pulmonary tract in view of the calculated difference.
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13. A method of measurement of a patient'"'"'s pulmonary function comprising the steps of:
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a) sensing ambient atmospheric pressure; b) sensing the pressure created by a patient'"'"'s pulmonary function after sensing ambient atmospheric pressure; c) sensing ambient atmospheric pressure after sensing the pressure created by a patient'"'"'s pulmonary function; and
,d) calibrating the pressure sensed in step b) in view of a difference between the pressure sensed in step a) and in step c). - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for measuring a patient'"'"'s pulmonary function comprising the steps of:
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a) sensing a first ambient pressure level for a time interval sufficient to accurately sense an initial ambient pressure level and storing an indicator of the sensed first ambient pressure level; b) sensing a patient'"'"'s pulmonary tract pressure level for a time interval sufficient to accurately sense the patient'"'"'s pulmonary tract pressure level and storing an indicator of the patient'"'"'s pulmonary tract pressure level; c) sensing a second ambient pressure level for a time interval sufficient to accurately sense a final ambient pressure level and storing an indicator of the sensed final ambient pressure level; and
,d) calculating the difference between the stored indicators of the initial and final ambient pressure level and adjusting the indicator of the patient'"'"'s pulmonary tract pressure level in view of the calculated difference.
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Specification